Kannazuki no Miko 2 : Incandescent Light
by Naiyeli
Summary: An idea I had on how the sequel of Kannazuki no Miko could be. Chikane's and Himeko's childhood, how it influences their relationship as time goes on, and how one's family can react towards what they do not understand.


I do not own Kannazuki no Miko and its characters. If I did, I would steal Chikane for myself 3 As I do not, I cannot steal her away.

This is sequel to Kannazuki no Miko. I read somewhere that the idea of a sequel was rejected, so I'm writing my version of what I think would be an interesting sequel. And now the prologue, it starts with a more in depth look at the main character's pasts. The anime shows bits and pieces of their past, I wish to show a more in depth look at how they may have grown up. Enjoy.

_With our relationships, we bring into them our pasts, our concerns, and our future. _

Prologue 1: Chikane's Beginnings

I was born on a crisp October morning. The sun had not yet risen in the morning sky as my cries cut through the still existing night. Relatives stood by the bed side admiring me, as I would grow accustomed to as I grew older. Even as a mere babe it was as if I could already feel the weight of my family's bearing press down upon me, as I kept my eyes shut closed, refusing to open them. They tried to coax me into looking towards them, looking for yet more ways to praise the innocent me. After all, I was the Himemiya family's first child, the anticipated heir to the Himemiya business dynasty.

I've been told that my eyes did open, but not by the coaxing of eager relatives. As the sun rose for the new day, light trickled in and settled on my eyes. My relatives tell me that when the sun's rays danced along my eyes, I opened them and smiled joyfully, as if greeting the morning light.

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Perfection. It was not simply a mentality or innate demeanor obtained at a young age. In my case, perfection was an ideal chiseled into me. It was expected of me, anything less would be frowned upon in great distaste.

My Father was a prosperous leader of a large corporation which affected numerous people worldwide. He was a very respected businessman, the idol of many hoping to follow in his image. In his eyes, I was his greatest expectation, the hope for the continuation of the family business. I was the sole heir of the economic dynasty he sought so hard to build from the bottom up. Thus, he never allowed me to forget it.

My Mother was sweet, her voice beautiful like an angel's very song. While my Father was so infatuated with teaching about his work, she taught me about the beauty that exists in the world. When Father was busy or out of town she would take me horseback riding through the nearby forests, we would have pick nick lunches by the lake on beautiful shining days. I enjoyed every moment. Even with such an immense weight constantly weighing on my shoulders, I was able to admire the surrounding world that exists all around us.

As for schooling, I started out home schooled. My Father provided the most prestigious instructors, and expected me to constantly maintain perfect marks. At that time, there was no space for childhood amusement. Some would find it odd, a mere child learning arts expected of those at an older age. Fine arts, fencing etiquette, and poetry were just scratching the surface of the long list of subjects I had to study. One may say I never truly had a childhood, my family's reputation always preventing me from doing as I secretly. desired. Father felt it was superfluous to send me to a traditional school where I would be surrounded by childhood peers. My Father felt that my contact with peers my age would only taint the perfection he was trying so hard to instill in me. It was only when my Mother intervened that I was sent to school with others my age.

School was yet another reminder of how indeed powerful my family's name was. I was only five years old, and already my peers looked upon me as though I were a god. In their eyes, I was perfect. I was a person they could only gaze upon, yet never reach out and touch. Sometimes I heard what some of my peers were whispering under their breath, thinking I was perhaps stuck-up, looking down upon others. In truth, I just wished to be considered as one of them. It was as if social contact with me in their eyes was forbidden.

I performed in numerous concerts; whether it was playing the piano, singing, or just simply reciting a poem from one of the great works, I was adored for it. It always reminded me of how people admire the moon in all its shining glory. They are seemingly blind to the gashes that exist along its surface. It's glow, the first bright light visible in the night sky, in my eyes appeared to act as a shield, overshadowing its faults it desired to keep hidden. At that age, I considered it to be an almost natural state, admiration of many for the supposed light that shone forth from my family name. Not a single admirer took the time to look beneath the light.

Of all the subjects forced upon me, I found myself enjoying the great plays. Within the tales of ancient Greece I was carried away within their curious mythologies. In the tales told by the genius Shakespeare I found myself chuckling at his comedies and weeping quietly through his tragedies.

As I aged these plays became my refuge, at seven years sneaking away to rest within the branches of a tall tree within my family's property. I would always take with me a book, often one of the great plays that greatly tickled my fancy, and climb up high onto the branches where the birds were my companions. Dear sweet birds... The branch was to be a double edged sword. It assisted me in alleviating the pressures placed upon me, however, I was still ever looking down upon those below me. Just once, I wished to be their equal, to look them eye to eye.

Once and awhile the family's youngest maid, who would later become my personal help, would gaze upon me in admiration. Oh how I wished to simply escape those admiring gazes. So much was expected of me, so much admired about me, no one actually KNEW me. As I'd sit in the tree my Mother would at times calmly ask me to come down, but upon seeing the pleasant expression on my face as I read among the birds, she would decide to leave me in peace.

On one of those days I stole away to the skies above I brought with me the tale of Romeo and Juliet. I dazed out dreamily into the beautiful daylight as I read in awe the story about the two star crossed lovers. They cared not about their family status, their affections towards each other shone through the haze that had blinded both families. Love. I was too young to quite understand, but I came to believe later on that true love sees past one's facade.

I failed to notice the young maid struggling to climb up the branches towards me, as I had been totally immersed in the book. My eyes darted downward as her startled screams filled the air as she started to slip from the branches. I reached down in an attempt to grab her hand, but she was too far away. My Father and Mother came running, along with numerous maids shocked at the outcry. Fortunately, she made it down safely. Needless to say, I was forbidden to ever climb up the tree again. Father was threatening to cut it down, but when I pleaded with him, promising to never climb it again, he conceded.

The young maid since then looked at me with forlorn eyes, guilty for causing me to lose my solace. I felt no ill will towards her, only a curiosity as to why she tried to follow me up there. I never did ask her why.

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I continued to find ways to be alone, contemplating within the silence my inner thoughts, when my Mother fell ill. At the time, I did not understand the specifics of the condition, only that what she had appeared to be serious. The doctor looked grim as he exited the bed room. I clung to my Father's leg looking up as the doctor told him about the situation. She had not much time left.

I ran to my Mother's bedside, tears streaming down my cheeks. There were so many pleasant memories I had shared with her. Memories I would never wish to lose, days resting in the sun, hearing her voice sing softly as the notes drifted through the air. Pleasant days where perfection was not my primary goal. I clung to her arm, sobbing in fear that my few pleasant childhood memories would fade into the dust. Feebly she reached up and stroked my cheek, not having enough strength to speak. We looked at each other, and I was calmed, an understanding passed without words.

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My Mother passed away soon after. On that day, I approached my Father, forlorn and crying. He looked down towards me, his stance as proud and strong as it ever was as he spoke. "Stop this foolishness, this is not how a future business leader should act." Always with business, so cold at such a time... It would take me years to understand just how much my Father was hurting on that day. With my Mother's death and my Father's response, I shut away my overt emotions. The pain I felt inside my lonely seven year old heart I locked away, along with my true self, my insecurities, my desires, my rage and anger at being treated so differently. I shut it all away behind a steel ridden enclosure, my very being just the facade of moonlight everyone so admired.

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When I turned fifteen I was enrolled in Ototachibana Academy. There my peers continued to idolize me, then say jealous phrases under their breaths. Men and women from other prominent families approached me, showing an interest in becoming my significant other, but I always refused them. There had even been rumors that I was dating a young man from my class, another student admired by the girls on campus. However, that was just a rumor, I was not interested in men and romance just did not appeal to me.

Upon exploring the new campus I came upon a small rose covered enclosure, a sign before it stating it was off limits. The surrounding area appeared to have no entrance among the rose vines. As i made my way searching for a way inside, I came upon an area where the branches were more spaced out. I made my way inside being careful not to catch my long sapphire hair on the branches, my eyes widening in awe at the insides of the enclosure. At the center stood a proud cherry blossom tree. The area surrounding it was spacious, big enough to lay down a cloth to relax on while enjoying tea. That enclosure would become my refuge at the school, the one place I could enjoy my time alone.

I took on many responsibilities; I became a member of the student council, joined the tennis club and played the piano for the other students. The activities I was involved in were numerous, but this was expected of me. When I locked away my true self, everything became automatic, almost robotic. I gave my daily activities very little thought, the actions going through without any emotion behind them. Only when I was alone in the rose enclosure did my thoughts venture behind my solid walls towards my thoughts beneath.

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I wanted to escape, my thoughts wandered on a seemingly normal school day. I felt chained to this existence, bound by the reputation of my family. I longed to break free, leave the enclosure and find a place far away where I could start anew. I longed for a place where no one would know who Chikane Himemiya was, where I would be treated as an equal. I did not desire all that had been forced upon me, did not desire to be the next in line for my Father's business. It was almost a need, a need to break free. I reached out to touch the cherry blossom tree just as I heard a rustle among the bushes. A puppy yipped happily as it ran in circles in front of me. 'A puppy?' Soon after, another rustle followed the puppy, as a golden haired angel appeared among the rose branches. My eyes met hers, her appearance innocent and pure. I felt as if for a moment the world stopped as stayed locked in that gaze.

"Sorry to bother you. I was just chasing this puppy, I think he is lost." She held the puppy in her arms as her eyes sparkled as she looked at me. "I'm going to go look for its owner. See you!" I stood up, reaching out towards her, feeling a strong desire to be near her "Wait, maybe I may be of assistance, I know many residents from this area." She smiled "Thank you! I'm Himeko Kurusugawa, and you are?" I spoke up, fearing the coming reaction to my name " Chikane...Himemiya" Instead, Himeko continued to sparkle "Nice to meet you Chikane-chan!" In retrospect, I should have held back my surprised expression at her informality. Fortunately she seemed to not notice, occupied by the puppy squirming in her arms. Never before had someone been so friendly towards me. I was used to being treated with near god status, so this girl's openness caught me off guard.

That entire day I felt as if immersed within a dream, as if with the presence of this girl my emotions were returning to me. Her glistening aura chipping away at the blockade I constructed so many years before. She had a radiance to her, a glow that warmed my soul from the deepest depths within. It did not matter what she said, what she was doing, as long as it was her. I felt if only I could grasp this feeling as my own, I could heal the damage my heart had endured, the loneliness I had felt my entire life.

However, as I should have expected, she soon discovered my family's prevalence within the community. She approached me the next day, apologizing for her rudeness the day before. In all honesty, I panicked. I ran after her, chasing the one comfort I felt within my heart, desiring her closeness more and more with each passing moment. I feared the warmth would fade from within me, that the steel bars that surrounded me would once again ensnare me. I had to be close to her, no matter what the cost.

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Days became weeks as we'd meet privately any chance we got. I feared how others would treat her if they knew her association with me, so we agreed to meet in private. I desired to see her beautiful smile, not cause her anguish due to my presence. It was evident that deep down she hurt, I wished to help her heal as well as heal myself.

I often contemplated my attachment towards her, debating whether it was simply the novelty of her treating me as a normal person. After all, she had been the first to get to know me, instead of admiring me from afar as my other peers did. As we sat there under the tree, her head resting on my lap as she dozed off under the sunlight, I knew that wasn't the case. I was drawn to her, a beautiful connection to the one living person I enjoyed spending every minute with. A person who had already made a huge impact on my life.

At fifteen I still had not the slightest clue how much of an impact she really would have on me.


End file.
